Latest News

Weekly News From the President: FCC NOI and Aloha from ACM West

We want all stations to participate in the FCC’s Notice of Inquiry on Promoting Diverse Sources of Video (FCC 16-41), so we’ve prepared two templates you can use:

If you want to file a letter with ACM to include in our comments and replies use this template.

If you want to file your own comments with the FCC, use this template.
Reminder: The deadline for comments in March 30, and reply comments are due April 14.++

Mahalo!I want to say “Mahalo” and thank the ACM West Region and the four community media centers in Hawaii who were our hosts for this year’s regional conference in Honolulu. The conference was a great opportunity to learn from others and build the future of community media – and see its power.

The centers on the islands – Olelo on Oahu, Akaku on Maui, Na Leo on Hawaii and Hoike on Kauai – all serve a special role in the life of their communities. Something that was recognized by Hawaiian Governor David Ige spoke to the conference last week.

Before his term began, Governor Ige had been a board member of Olelo, and has worked with community media to grow its educational presence. He spoke to the conference about the possibility of expanding the impact of community media in Hawaii in coming years.

The conference was held in conjunction with the Spring National ACM Board of Directors Meeting, and almost all of the conference sessions were recorded by Olelo and will be posted online soon. We’ll forward links to the video when they are available so you can take advantage of what we discussed.

Governor Ige (center) hanging loose with members of ACM member Jay April and staff from Akaku Maui.

I was deeply moved by the hospitality of the Hawaiian centers, and by the connection they have to representing people on the islands in their work.The last time the ACM held a conference in the islands, Olelo gave our or organization the drum which still symbolizes the power of voice and community in our mission.

The drum – “Kia’i Ka Leo” – travelled across the United States for almost twenty years, and returned to the islands a few years ago, where it has received some tender loving care recently to restore it to its original state. It still holds the spirit of all the communities it visited along the way.